LONDON- The UK will soon introduce a new espionage law to counter threats from potential ‘hostile’ states like China and Russia. This comes after the chemical attack on a former Russian double agent which London suspected to be from Russian military intelligence in 2018.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May first announced the plans for a new law when Novichok, a chemical weapon from the Soviet-era has been used against a former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. A British civilian was also killed in the attack.
On Thursday, PM Boris Johnson’s Conservative government said that it would introduce legislation to give the tools and powers that the security services need in order to disrupt hostile state activity.
An offence definition update, a foreign agents register, treason law updates and an update of the Official Secrets Acts are among the measures being considered. In order to protect assets overseas, certain offences would be applied “extraterritorially” in line with the rules followed in the U.S. and Australia.
There had been no explicit mention of state names in the government briefing note but both China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have been named publicly as hostile states by British security chiefs.
The 2018 Salisbury attack was blamed on authorities in Moscow by Britain. The Kremlin denied any role in the attack repeatedly and stated that the West is crippled by anti-Russian hysteria.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.